Hussain slams ICC for kowtowing to BCCI

London: Former England skipper Nasser Hussain today charged the ICC with kowtowing to the financial clout of BCCI.

Flaying the International Cricket Council (ICC) for sacking umpire Steve Bucknor, Hussain said he sympathised with India for having to lose the Sydney Test because of umpiring blunders but at the same time was critical of India having asked ICC to sack Bucknor.

Writting in Daily Mail Hussain said, ''I have a whole heap of sympathy for what happened to India during the second Test in Sydney. The umpiring was diabolical and the big decisions that went against them almost certainly cost them a match they could have won.

''India lose my sympathy for the way they have seemingly dictated who umpires their next Test. You simply cannot do that,'' Hussain added.

''By all means put in a report saying that you did not think a certain umpire had a good game and highlight what he got wrong, but for India to demand that Steve Bucknor be replaced for the third Test in Perth, and for the ICC to agree to it, has terrible implications for the game,'' he wrote.

''Why have the ICC decided to get tough now? Is it to appease the financial clout of India or is it because they have finally decided to get tough on sledging?'' he wanted to know.